A collection of images and other items from Disneyland, theme parks and other amusement parks. Also look for images and items I find interesting, amusing or both.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

A visit to the Keelboat Gullywhumper

A ride that unfortunately is now part of Yesterland is the Mike Fink Keelboats. Due to a series of incidents and the high cost of labor to keep the boats running, the attraction was closed. One of the boats was auctioned off and now sits in a private collection. The other keelboat is slowly rotting, half sunk by pirates on the back side of Tom Sawyer's Island. But today we can relive the attraction via photographs. The first image is of the entrance with the welcoming sign. Be sure to pull out that B ticket.

The second image is of the thrilling adventure of riding the Gullywhumper. Careful of the Indians rowing the canoes!

The ride is now finished and we have to disembark from the boat and walk out the exit.

7 comments:

Great pictures! I never rode the Keelboats. As a kid I thought, "Why would I go on those little boats when I can go on the Mark Twain and see the same stuff?". Now, of course, I would jump at the chance to ride it.

Loved the keelboats as a kid! Loved 'em even more as a teen and adult, because you got to run, push, shove and elbow your way past the kids to what IMO was the best seat on the Rivers of America: the keelboat's front bench. :D

The keelboats will always have a special significance for me. I was riding on one of them (Don't know which one now, 52 years on) during my very first Disneyland visit, May 30, 1956, when the boat operator pointed Walt Disney hinmself on the shore, near where the Haunted Mansion is now. He was with a group of men in suits, and was pointing stuff out to them. It was one of only two occassions I ever saw Walt Disney with my own eyes. (The other was at Angel stadium a few months before he died, ten years later.)

I want to thank all of you guys for the positive feed back . i was one of the cast members who was working on the river when the Keel Boat sank in May of 1997, thus the ride was removed forever. we all knew it was going to happen.now as for the vessel being parked on the side of the river there now rotting, well....a few of us old schoolers pushed for that to happen rather than destroy it. see the Gully Whomper is almost sitting in her final resting spot. she sank about fifty feet further down the river in the dead center. so thats why she lays there. i want you all to know, the entire rivers of america fought to keep them afloat for future generations but management said no. but shes still on the river at least